Idris Elba Strips Down for 'Details' Magazine Cover!

On disappointing roles after playing Nelson Mandela: “You know, I’d just played this iconic human being, and the scripts I got afterward were sort of… disappointing… Look, I know that I work a lot, but I’d prefer to wait sometimes because I don’t want to just do rubbish films anymore or characters that anyone can play.”

On not always being recognized: “I’ve been that guy for a while, where people recognize me but they’re not sure why, I’d done a lot of popcorn films, but the reinvention came when I decided to do more of the character-driven stuff that won’t be seen by as many people. But it makes people start to realize, ‘Wait a second, this guy is that guy.’”

On non-stop working in his life: “I flew in yesterday from Ghana to do a one-day shoot here. Twenty-four hours ago, I was in Africa doing something very different, and 24 hours from now, I’ll be back home in London with my family in a completely different environment. And next week, I’m gonna be in front of a bunch of people playing music in Ibiza.”